Music fans are often left feeling enraged and heartbroken when criminal allegations emerge against artists whose music they once enjoyed.
Chris Brown physically assaulted Rihanna, his former partner, in 2009 after she discovered Brown sent messages to a woman he’d previously been sexually involved with, according to a search warrant issued by the Los Angeles Police Department.
Even though Brown pled guilty to felony assault, his music career thrived through numerous assault accusations and a 2019 rape allegation, according to a January 2019 People Magazine article.
Brown’s most recent album “Indigo” even graced the Billboard top charts for 16 weeks, according to Billboard chart history.
Christian Catano, a biomedical engineering freshman, said when he listens to music it's because he likes the way it sounds, not because of the artist.
“I just hear a song and just listen to it,” Catano said. “I don't really think much about who's singing it.”
But Catano did have an instance when allegations altered the way he viewed songs by an artist.
When allegations of sexual misconduct arose against Ameer Vann, a former member of the hip-hop group Brockhampton, Catano said the music he once enjoyed lost its meaning.
Two women said that Vann had emotionally manipulated them and often got non-consensually violent with the women during sex, according to a June 2018 Pitchfork article.
“It was just hard to listen to someone rapping about women when you know what they've done to women,” Catano said. “So in that case, it just didn't feel the same.”
Even so, not listening to artists who are facing criminal allegations can be difficult.
English senior Paula Phommounivong recently stopped listening to bands involved with Southern California record label Burger Records after allegations involving sex with a minor arose.
Clementine Creevy, an artist formerly signed with Burger Records, said musician Sean Redman began a sexual relationship with her when she was 14 and he was 20 years old, according to a July 22, 2020 LA Magazine article.
While Phommounivong said the label’s shutdown was for the best, it was still devastating to know music she once enjoyed was produced by people with disturbing sexual misconduct accusations against them.
“It's just so wrong to be giving my money and airtime to an artist that just lives their life day to day normally like nothing happened,” Phommounivong said. “Meanwhile, their victims have to suffer behind closed doors.”
Susana Gallardo, an SJSU women, gender and sexuality lecturer, said in order for artists to be held accountable, it’s not only up to record labels to make changes, it’s also a personal responsibility.
“We can all play a part,” Gallardo said in an email. “It's not an either/or kind of thing.”
Phommounivong said artists need to show proof they’ve changed in order to gain listeners again, even after being held accountable for their actions.
Phommounivong brought up the example of solo artist Ducktails. Ducktails was briefly a band, but after accusations against Matt Mondanile were brought to light, he continued on as a solo artist under the same name.
Mondanile was accused of sexual misconduct by seven women, according to an October 2017 Spin article.
Phommounivong said Mondanile sought therapy before mending his relationship with the public, in addition to donating money to feminist organizations and issuing public apologies.
“While some people don't support him anymore, I think he did the best that he could,” Phommounivong said. “Even though it doesn't change what happened.”
Catano said ultimately the music someone listens to is a personal choice.
An artist’s past doesn’t give someone the right to harass fans who may still listen to that artist, Catano said.
“That’s just fighting fire with fire and nothing gets done,” Catano said. ”It's just complete negativity instead of trying to teach people how to look at things in a positive light and see where people have made mistakes.”
